Sophia Kassidova
Deputy Minister of Economy

Sophia Kassidova was born on 19 June 1969. She holds a BA in Economics from the University for National &World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria (1992), an MA in Economics from the University of the State of New York&CEU, Prague, the Czech Republic (1994) and a MSc in International Banking and Financial Services from the University of Reading, England (2000).
She has held successively the following positions: research fellow at the Center for the Study of Democracy, Sofia; Senior Credit Analyst at Ionian & Popular Bank of Greece, Sofia Branch; CEE Analyst at HEX Capital, s.r.o., Prague, Czech Republic; Head of the International and Multilateral Financing Department at the Bulgarian National Bank; Project Manager at the State Savings Bank, Sofia; Head of Bulgaria Coverage and the Balkans, Emerging Markets Coverage Group at CSFB (Prague), Czech Republic.
Her responsibilities included management of an EU project for SSB's restructuring, development of a new savings product at SSB; management and supervision of credit lines provided to Bulgaria by EBRD, EIB, EU Phare Programme, KfW-Frankfurt, preparation of contracts, negotiation of loan terms and monitoring of loan portfolios at BNB; assistance in the set up, management and distribution of a mutual fund invested in CEE, preparation of the investment strategy and investment universe of equity and fixed-income assets as well as preparation of macroeconomic analyses of the CEE region at HEX Capital, s.r.o., etc.
Sophia Kassidova has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Beta Corp Ltd, Sofia since 1997.
She has several publications on foreign investments, privatization and foreign debt conversion and SMEs and private sector development in Bulgaria, etc.
Sophia Kassidova is fluent in English and Russian and conversant in Czech and Spanish.

Kaloian Ninov
Deputy Minister of Economy

Kaloian Yonchev Ninov was born in Sofia on March 27, 1970.
He graduated from the Sofia High School of Mathematics. He holds a Master`s Degree in Accounting and Auditing from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia.
He specialized in Capital Markets at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
He worked at Nadezhda National Privatization Fund in Sofia as Investment Manager and Member of the Board of Directors.
Since 1993 he has worked at the First Finance and Brokerage House in Sofia, where he held the following positions: Securities Broker, Head of the Securities Department and Manager.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Association of Certified Investment Agents, where in 2000-2001 he became Chairman of the Board.
He specialized in mass privatization, structure and functions of the Central Securities Depositary and in trade in fixed income instruments.
Mr. Ninov is fluent in English, Russian and Spanish.
He is married, with one child.

Dimitar Hadjinikolov
Deputy Minister of Economy

Dimitar Hristov Hadjinikolov was born in Sofia on February 5, 1953.
He graduated from German Language High School and majored in International Economic Relations at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
He began his professional carrier as a Research Associate and Head of the Marketing and Conjuncture Department at the Scientific Institute of Tourism. He has worked successively at the Bulgarian Association for Tourism and Recreation, the Tourism Committee at the Council of Ministers, the Prime Investment Trust, the Central Cooperative Union, the Reise Bureau Hornit Lufthansa City Center and at the IATA Accredited Agents Association in Bulgaria.
Mr. Hadjinikolov is fluent in German, Russian and English.
He is married

Nicola Yankov
Deputy Minister of Economy

Nicola Simeonov Yankov was born in Plovdiv on October 14, 1971 and studied in the English Language School in the same city.
He graduated from Cornell University (USA) in 1994 with a degree in economics.
Nicola Yankov began his professional career as an Assistant Auditor and Data Analyst at the Plovdiv Regional Tax Authority.
Later he was employed by Kraft Jacobs Suchard Bulgaria AD as Financial Planning and Analysis Specialist and Corporate Treasurer.
He worked as Manager Controlling and Treasury at Solvay-Sodi S.A. until May 2000.
He was Chief Executive Officer and a Member of the Board of Naftex Petrol AD. Later he was appointed Vice President and a Member of the Board of Directors of Naftex Bulgaria Holding AD.
Deputy Minister Yankov is a Member of the Supervisory Board of Lukoil Neftochim Bourgas AD. He is also a Member of the Management Board of the State Agricultural Fund and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Rating Agency.
Mr. Yankov is fluent in English. He has good knowledge of Russian and basic knowledge of French. He is married, with one child.

Milen Keremedchiev
Deputy Minister of Economy

Milen Georgiev Keremedchiev was born in Varna on September 27, 1968. He has graduated from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. His professional career started at the First East European Private Airline “Jes Air” where he was deputy commercial and marketing director. He has been consequently assuming the positions of commercial director at the private Bulgarian cargo airline “Phoenix Air” and the Sofia branch of the air transport company “Intermegan Ferrymasters Ltd”. In 1999, he was appointed head of department at the Bulgarian private freight company “Discordia AD”, and in 2001, he became sales and marketing manager at the TNT Express Worldwide. Milen Keremedchiev has majored in marketing and research of the aviation market, as well as in company structuring under the ISO EN 9000. Mr. Keremedchiev speaks English and Russian, and has got basic knowledge in Arabic. He is married, with one child

Gergana Sarbova
Secretary General

Gergana Petrova Sarbova was born in Sofia on July 24, 1968. She has majored in Economical Sociology from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. She has been working in the field of tax administration since 1992.
In 1999, as an expert in the General Tax Directorate (GTD), she co-worked on procedures pertaining to the activity of the Revenue Accounting and Payments Sector in the state tax administration. She was in the team which designed the single bill for tax payers and contributed to work out the mechanisms for non-cash payments with the tax administration and the National Insurance Institute.
Mrs Sarbova-Bozhilova is a member of the Central Expert Group with the GTD, which launched the project for a United Agency on the Revenues at the Ministry of Finance in 2001.
She has been Head of the Directorate on Financial & Economical Activities and Property Management with the Ministry of Economy since December 1, 2001. On March 27, 2002, Mrs Sarbova was appointed Secretary General of the Ministry.
Mrs Sarbova speaks English and Russian. She is married and has a daughter.

Biliana Diakova
Chief of the Minister's Cabinet

Biliana Staykova Diakova was born in Stara Zagora on September 19, 1969.She graduated Computer Sciences from St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University. She has a post-graduate degree in Financial and Bank Management from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia and has attended a training course at the Japanese Development Bank focusing on development bank organisation and objectives, legal regulations, investment project appraisal and credit-granting terms. She began her career as a technical assistant at Arthur Andersen&Co. After 1994 she has held successively the following positions at the Ministry of Finance: technical assistant of the Minister, expert responsible for the issue of and registration of issues of target bills for the public at the State Treasury and Debt Department and chief expert in charge of the permission and registration of privatization deals where payment is effected in Brady-bonds, permissions under and interpretation of the Bank Deposit Guarantee Act. She dealt with the register of the obligations under the ZUNK, elaboration of forecasts, permissions for applying the ZUNK in privatization deals.
After 1999 she has worked under the World Bank's project on reconstruction and modernization of water supply and sewage companies.
She is fluent in English. She has a good knowledge of Russian and Spanish.
She is married with one child.